Thirteen Candles
by Firenzie
Summary: A short, plotless fic...if you could even call it a fic. It's about Kari, from Tai's point of view. It's her birthday and she's turning thirteen...nothing to it, really. I just wrote it because it was *someone's* birthday yesterday...


Thirteen Candles

By Firenze

We went shopping for a cake today. You see, it's Kari's birthday tomorrow, and we're having a surprise party for her. She was too shy to ask for a party, but we know she wants one, and we're giving it to her. I got to pick out the cake. Actually, Sora helped me a lot, since she's a girl and knows more about their tastes. I mean, what kind of things they like. It's covered in white frosting, with those fake and decorative, yet edible, pastel pink and purple and yellow roses, with green icing leaves. But on the inside, it's an ice cream cake. Vanilla and chocolate both, plus layers of real chocolate brownies and another of real strawberries. (Mmmm….yummy…*drool hangs out*) Then I got to spell out, "_Happy Birthday, Kari_" on the top with pink icing.

The bakers let me do that since I almost ate the cake. I really hope Kari likes it as much as I do. If she doesn't, I can have the whole cake! But that's beside the point. I was so worried about what to get her, because the things I like are a LOT different than what she likes. Sora knows Kari will love the cake, but I just can't shake this feeling that I don't know my little sister at all anymore. This sounds really cheesy and sentimental, not to mention entirely cliché, but it seems like she's just growing up way too fast.

This year she's going to be adding thirteen candles to that cake we just bought. Thirteen! All of a sudden she's a teenager? I still think of her as a frail, chronically ill little girl, only thinking about others' feelings. But she isn't anymore, and though I always used to say she was too old for her age...now she seems to fit it perfectly, but it's like she's gotten to that age too soon... I don't know what I'm talking about. It's really weird.

I mean, I've seen the ways boys look at her now. It's impossible not to notice. And I can't help thinking, "why the hell are they looking at my little sister that way?" Davis is absolutely obsessed with her and lets the entire world know. On the other hand, TK and Ken choose to keep it mostly to themselves. Either way is fine with me, because big brothers can spot little twerps checking out our little sisters from miles away. I try not to be so overprotective, but she seems so young!

I won't hold her back from being a teenager, because my parents never stopped me from being a teenager. Why should I limit her to it? Being a teenager is a lot harder than she probably expects, though. The responsibilities, the pressures... She's been able to cope with those things pretty well so far, but I'll help her along the way, just to make sure she doesn't make some dumb decision. I know she won't. I'm so used to her looking up to me when she was younger. Now her role model will be...Mimi.

Soon she'll be wearing makeup, dating boys, maxing out our parents' credit cards at the mall, gossiping with girlfriends for hours. Sure, she'll change a lot, but I've got to live with that. But I miss the days when she was so young, naive and innocent. She was kind and selfless, brave and determined. Oh, she still is. But she's been toying with boys' emotions and playing with their hearts and using them, not to mention dressing ways (*think pink spandex*) that I don't really approve of. But I'm just her older brother. I guess I'm scared that she won't need me. Because to be honest, she really won't. I've just got to learn to let her go.

Tomorrow is the day she'll be putting those thirteen candles on her cake. And she'll be a teenager. She'll have a lot more options and freedom, but a lot more tough choices and situations to deal with. I know by experience that teenagerness isn't all just fun and games and partying. She'll learn it too, eventually. But Kari, I want you to know -- no matter what happens, whatever problem you get into, or _ANYTHING_ -- you'll always have me.

# Taichi

***

**A/N:** So it had no real point to it. I just wrote that because...it was my birthday yesterday! Three guesses at how old I turned, and the first two guesses don't count. I meant to post this exactly on my birthday, but I was too busy to go online, even if I've had this story—thing done… Oh yeah, let's make this absolutely clear: I am NOTHING at all like Kari. Got that? I just already had a fic about Sora's birthday (Sora's Birthday Wish), I hate Mimi and I'm nothing at all like her, Yolei like the others is already past thirteen, and Kari's the only one left. And my older brother would never say _ANYTHING_ like what I wrote in that thing. All he said is: "Now you can watch PG-13 movies on your own -- legally." What a dork. I'd prefer it more if I did get a cool cake like that and a surprise party...but alas, no party for me. And being a teenager now is really no different to me. Life still sucks, and I'm not any better at anything like sports or writing just because I'm older. Oh well. If I get lots of reviews, I'd be a whole lot happier.

**Disclaimer:** Tai, Sora, Kari, Davis, TK, Ken, and anything you know isn't mine from this fic -- or whatever it is, obviously does not belong to me.


End file.
